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Hey, it’s summer, and that means taking a good book to the dock/deck/beach/basement (in my case; I have to hide from my kids).

My latest read is The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner, and it’s a fun one. It’s got the usual quirky, less-than-perfect characters and warm-hearted relationships you expect from a Weiner read. (I think this book gets my award for best poolside sex scene with a man who uses a wheelchair.) This story’s also got an inside look at Hollywood – a really inside look, since Weiner’s short-lived TV series, State of Georgia provided her with direct experience to inform the details she picked for the book.

There’s always some debate about whether Weiner’s books fit in the oft-dissed chick-lit category, and Weiner herself has said that’s just a way of describing “commercial women’s fiction.” I’d say if so, this novel surpasses the constraints of the genre (and hey, I do read chick lit, as well as the Weiner-dissed Jonathan Franzen!) Ruth’s “madcap adventures” involve juggling priorities many of us will recognize (even if not quite in this form) from the mid-career ranks: Do you stay true to your vision, or keep your staff employed?

My biggest complaint about the book is that the ending takes a turn for the best that seems just a little bit like wish fulfillment for the author. (And that’s all the detail you’ll get from me about it.) But that’s what makes this book a great summer read: It ends with a smile.

Don’t miss our Jennifer Weiner contest: Share your pick for summer reading and win a library of her work!

(You’re also more than welcome to share your picks in the comments, but to enter the contest you’ve got to fill out the form I’m afraid!)

At our Twitter party last night we asked people to share advice for their younger selves, on the occasion of More’s 5th birthday. (The hashtag was #More5th) The answers blew me away! Here’s a list of them. Add yours in the comments! And be sure to follow us on Twitter so you don’t miss future parties.

trevster A ‏be yourself ‏

Spot Star Start saving your money right away. it adds up really fast

Deborah Coombs ‏I’d also say “it’s ok to say yes” Take chances & try new things while you can

auntjenniepoo ‏Education is power. Stay in school. Get a degree!

drew p ‏ follow your dreams
and… also I would say have fun

benshairnet ‏I would tell my younger self to travel more.

Ginette ‏ Don’t try and please everyone, be yourself

Spot Star ‏ Start saving your money right away
and…invest in realestate, long term its the best safest return

Susan Bannister ‏ Don’t let others bring you down

carriesbig ‏ Learn another language! It gets harder to the older you get.

Gail Strachan‏ To my younger self, I would say ‘be patient’.

foomento To not burn the candle at both ends.

bayouhip ‏ To take better care of my skin. If I could go back, I’d wear facial sunscreen daily starting in my teens.

edmcalg I would have lived in the moment more. I was far too serious.

Toronto Sassy ‏ Don’t kill yourself with too difficult relationships

lunastel ‏To try more new foods. I’ve only started doing this as I’m getting older.

Julia Teeluck ‏ I’d tell 12-year-old me that cookie cutter’s overrated. Embrace your differences.

servlip‏ To try new things without the fear of looking foolish.

Professor A ‏Make sure you’re following your dreams and not someone else’s.
and…thought of another one, that the saying blood is thicker than water is very true, family is very important.

bullado ‏ I would have advised my younger self to not be afraid to tell the truth.

rollersing To not get a perm!

Joy Mills ‏ Don’t waste time – enjoy every second ’cause you don’t know what’s around the bend.

Nighat Your opinions are as valid as anyone else’s

halaksave‏ That people over 30 aren’t ancient!

jackchlo ‏Not to worry about what other people think of you, as long as you’re not hurting anybody.

Tina Lee ‏ Speak up even if your opinion or views are different from others

Christine I would have advised my younger self not to sweat the small stuff and not to be afraid to go after what I want

ackrene To stand up and be counted. My opinion is as valid as anyone else’s

nooshang I would have listened to my gut instincts more… They’re more often right than wrong.

finalping Don’t believe everything people tell you, despite sometimes really wanting to.

ruizschNot to be afraid to ask for help… And don’t ever be afraid to offer it.

Goomba King I would tell my younger self that eating my veggies really wouldn’t kill me! My parents were smarter than I gave credit

epibree To respect myself. So simple yet I think a lot of people struggle with this when they’re young.

theresa Mayville I woudl advise my younger self to have more fun and enjoy the litlle moments in life . #More5th

windpuzzle That not everyone is going to appreciate you, and really, who cares.

cowboybros To learn who to give to and who is taking advantage of you.

jerpato Be happy for the family you have because someone else’s is NOT usually better!

pestoresto To always treat people in your life with the same repect you want them to give you.

torlonias Be strong, never give up, keep loving myself and others.

thinflexi To younger self: Don’t take everything so personally or seriously!

vocexp To not worry about what other people think of me, to live my own life and make my own choices.

veeships Simple, to follow my heart and not overanalyze everything.

suevogues Take more risks, mistakes are made for learning.

cheerpali To my younger self, appreciate what you have now.

valuepk To tell the one’s you love that you do, because they could be gone tomorrow.

privyseel Don’t sweat the small stuff (can apply to any age really).

‏ClimaClub this is a professional advice, but the first professional job or so you get will setup your career path so pick correctly
and…when possible, always find employment you enjoy, and never waste time with a job that holds you back

nixbrit1 That the best person I can be is me.

brypark1 To laugh more, especially at myself!

Debra Goldblatt “No is a complete sentence,” was my favorite.

phenrome To listen more, listen better, pay attention and remember!

debbie paisley ‏I would advise my younger sefl not to worry what other people thought about me.

santfinn Don’t stress about relationships. If it works, it works, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

raptturk To be more assertive! And be more spontaneous.

Brenda Penton I’d tell myself to face my fears

colbosh To never ever stop asking questions about how the world works.

Thank you so much to the sponsors of our great prizes: Coty, Elizabeth Arden, NeoStrata and Shiseido!

Back in our Summer 2011 issue, we featured The 7 Virtues line of perfumes. Company founder Barb Stegemann of Halifax started the brand, which sources organic scented oils from legal crops in war-torn or impoverished communities. What we didn’t say was that she took her product to CBC’s Dragons’ Den – successfully. They’ll be running an update about the company on tonight’s episode.

I asked Stegemann about the experience via email:

Was Dragons’ Den as scary as it looked?
Yes, I was so scared I thought I was going to pee my pants. They do this countdown as you “walk the plank” into the Den…ten, nine, eight…and you begin to wonder how crazy is this? But I got through it because I focused on my mission, the chance to share with millions of Canadians that we must do trade with nations that are experiencing war or strife to build peace by helping them rebuild.

When I am scared I always think of something bigger than me and I get through it. It works every time.

What were the best moments and the worst moments?
Best moments were when they offered the deal and hugged me. I seriously never ever in my wildest visualization imagined that!!! W. Brett Wilson invested in me and became the mentor I dreamed of. And right after you walk out of The Den, the producers and the entire CBC family come running out to hug you and talk to you and cheer for you and then the Dragons’ VPs of business talk with you and applaud you and make you feel really special. It’s quite a feeling I will never forget.

Worst moment is the time spent in the greenroom before you go on. You are so nervous and the other pitchers are there and everyone wants to try their pitch on you and it can psyche you out, so you want to remain somewhat reflective and quiet. Because otherwise you can begin to doubt yourself when the TV in the green room plays an old episode of a pitcher being told to get out of the Den, it’s unnerving.

So you really have to quiet your mind and focus on the bigger mission. Then your spirits are lifted by Sean Wise, a professor of business at Ryerson. He vets you just before you enter and he really helped me.

What advice would you give to someone looking for capital?
DO IT!!! Please do not live your life with any regrets. If you have a burning passion to launch a company and if it can make our world a better place, then you have nothing to lose.

Do your homework before you go on. I met with several amazing venture capitalists in my own community first to learn the language and to ask tips on the pitch. They were so generous with their time they even let me practice my pitch on them. I had never met these people in my life. I just reached out.

One of them, Mickey MacDonald, carried my fragrance in his boutique when I was literally out of my garage and in two stores. He taught me some of the language I used in my opening pitch. You have 90 seconds when you start to wow them. Also, listen to the producers. I was assigned to Molly Duignan. She is a business genius and really fun and she helped me contain my wild dreams into a clear, focused opener.

What impact has going on the show had on you or your business?
I was the first woman from Atlantic Canada to land a deal on Dragons’ Den and it changed my game. It gave me the confidence to cold call The Bay and now we are in The Bay across Canada at the beauty counters. The over half a million in fragrances we have had in sales in our short time in business allowed me to buy all the essential oils from my supplier in Afghanistan so that he is able to employ many farmers and their families benefit.

Beauty does have the power to transform lives.

For more information, and for Barb’s book, The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen, visit the7virtues.com

Find the fragrances at The Bay across Canada!

Photo: Peter Schafrick

And if women entrepreneurs are your thing, don’t miss:
How four women launched their businesses – for peanuts
Reinvention is the best revenge
What it takes to be a civility coach
Our reinvention channel

Update: Barb shared that her pitch was called the best ever on Dragons’ Den on the show! Congrats!

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If part of your Valentine’s Day ritual – or book club ritual – or any occasion is standing at the liquor store staring at the selection and feeling overwhelmed, we’ve got an app for your smartphone (or a site to visit).
It’s the new generation of Natalie MacLean’s Wine Picks & Pairings app. I’ve tried it, and it actually does a feel a bit like shopping with the editor of Canada’s largest wine web site, thanks to GPS technology and real-time inventory data. “This app knows which liquor store you’re in, or the closest one to you, and gives you my top ten list of wines that are in stock right now,” says Natalie via email. That top ten list can reflect wine type, score or price.

There are other neat features, like a way to scan codes and keep track of your own wine cellar’s contents, and pairing suggestions. For more info, here’s Natalie’s blog post talking about it, or here are the links to the Blackberry, iPhone/iPod and Android app stores. (I have the iPhone version.)

And if you don’t have a smartphone and plan these things in advance, be sure to check out Natalie’s website. And can I come to dinner?

I Don’t Know How She Does It, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear. I’m giving away 3 DVDs! Read this post to find out how to win a copy.

Today’s my last day here, everyone. Sadly and gladly, I’m handing the reins back to the permanent web editor, Jennifer.

The timing is great…it’s a fresh new year, I’m off to another fun project for Canadian Living‘s website, and Jenn says she’s all ready to roll when we had lunch together last Friday.

Now just a quick word of thanks to the More team before I tell you how to win a copy of I Don’t Know How She Does It. Thank you all, for helping me this year. A huge thanks to my right arm, Grace, the web producer, and to Simone who preceded her: these ladies have also become my friends. Thanks to More’s fabulous copy editor Brenda Thompson for her help and friendship; to editors Beth Thompson and Kate Daley for their excellent and generous editorial contributions to More.ca; to travel columnist K. Jill Rigby for her sense of humour (and great travel content). Thanks also to editor-in-chief Linda Lewis, for her insight, encouragement and unfailing personal support. I’ll miss working with you!

It’s quite fitting that I’m giving away a few copies of I Don’t Know How She Does It, you know. Because for most of the last twelve months, I juggled my husband’s serious illness, childcare issues, work, doctor’s visits, bad news, good news, anguish, joy and everything in between –  and I didn’t know how I would do it. I just did. Each day came and passed, and little by little I got through it.

How to win: Ok, you’ve suffered my deep thoughts and thank-you speech, now here’s how to get one of these three DVDs. Tell us, in the comments, how you do it. How do you keep life running smoothly? Describe in the comments by Friday, January 13th, 11:59pm and we’ll pick three winners next week. Check back to see if you won!

Goodbye! And good luck!

-Helen

Update: This contest is closed. Winners have been chosen and we will announce their names once we have confirmed with them!

This weekend, I spent a good deal of time watching shows and movies on Netflix, using my iPad. Netflix is a video streaming service, and you watch movies and episodes via your internet-connected device like your kid’s Wii or Xbox, or your computer or iPad. You need high-speed internet access, and you sign up online.

I’m going to give Netflix Canada a qualified thumbs-up. Here’s why:

The show selection
The new movies on tap are kind of meh for my liking (recent offerings include Knight & Day with Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise, Date Night with Tina Fey), which has been the major Canadian criticism of Netflix. (Netflix offers many more choices to its American audience). But if you’re into obscure TV shows, you’ll dig Netflix. I got to watch Little Britain, Coupling and Top Gear (all Brit shows that can be hard to find here in Canada). There’s also Weeds, Arrested Development and others.

The movies from a few years ago
Where Netflix falters in offering new-to-DVD releases, it makes up for in good-quality movies you probably wanted to see but haven’t yet. Love in the time of Cholera (starring Javier Bardem. Just sayin’!), Milk and Memoirs of a Geisha (starring Ken Watanabe. Also just sayin’!) are all on my list.

You can try it for free
Right now Netflix is offering a one-month free trial. After that, it’s $7.99 per month. Maybe that’s not a huge steal if you don’t like the movie selection, but it pretty much guarantees you’ll have a TV show to watch whenever you want to. And, did I mention it’s an all-you-can-eat affair? You don’t pay per movie or show, it’s just a flat-fee for the month.

Do you have any interest in Netflix?
(June 9 update: If you do, enter our Netflix one-year-subscription contest!)

-Helen

I love reading blogs. In fact, that’s often what I do when I’m procrastinating. So today, I’m going to dedicate this post to More.ca fans that have their own wonderful blogs. Here are some excerpts worth exploring in full (many of them with a nod to Mother’s Day).

Blog: Life — The Flip Side
“In a few short day’s I will be fifty years old. I feel it is worthy to look back at the last decade and give it proper burial.

Notably the best decade of my life so far, I mourn its passing. Like anything else in life, I will look back and find what I can be grateful for and then move on.

So, what did I learn in the past decade? [Read more]”

Blog: Year Ache…The First Year of Missing Mum
“I’m on the cusp of the two month mark. The approach of Mother’s Day is making my sadness & loneliness feel even more raw – if that’s at all possible. I feel like an outsider looking in on a beloved milestone that was always a highlight on my calendar.

I don’t begrudge others who are noting this day with their Mums – not at all! – I just wish that mine was here for a bunch of warm hugs, another day of being spoilt and one more opportunity for me to tell her how much she means to me. I even have a card – one that I purchased a few months ago – that I would have given to her this coming weekend…[Read more]”

Blog: The Re-Stylist
“How to shop for tummy-hiding tops: My aunt happened to be wearing a tiered ruffle top from New York & Company, and started raving about the variety of tummy-camouflaging tops she had found there. She liked this one in particular because of its slight A-line cut and loose tiers that cover the belly [Read more, including top photos].”

Blog: …Unless I Change My Mind
“Ah, the accursed full-length mirror. It’s like a bad relationship; it crushes your self-esteem, but you can’t seem to stay away from it. It’s the time of year when thoughts of vacations to warmer climes or optimism for an early spring lure women of all shapes and ages before this “teller of hard truths” where they stare, horrified to imagine themselves donning the most revealing of apparel…the bathing suit. Whether you’re trying to fit into that new string bikini, or trying to cover as much of yourself as possible, chances are you are feeling self-conscious.

In every woman I see one of two scenarios…[Read more]”

Blog: Freeshopper Deals
“Since it is that time of year and Mother’s Day is just around the corner, I have decided to make a post to help all the moms out there, not just at Mother’s Day, but all throughout the year…

My very own dear mother helped me at a time in my life when I needed it due to an accident I endured, and I would like to share it with you. [Read more]”

Do you have a blog? If you’d like to share it and it’s appropriate for the More.ca audience, please come leave a link in our comments.

-Helen

This week we folks here at More.ca have a veritable pile of leaves being turned over, so to speak. Jenn Gruden is back blogging in this spot (catch her latest post on getting caught in the the sandwich generation), and she’s launched a writing project for 2011 called the 99 cent novel project.

Do check it out, here. I’m really cheering her on. As I familiarize myself with the content she’s written for this site, I never fail to find something interesting and well-crafted. I’ll link to a bunch of her articles further on.

Another leaf-turner over here is our web producer Simone C. She’s off to be a web editor for another site and this is her last week. Simone does a lot of the “heavy-lifting” as we sometimes call it, which allows me to do stuff like write this blog. If a new story catches your eye on our homepage today, chances are that Simone formatted and posted it. Simone has been a fun, warm and hard-working colleague — I’ll miss her.

And so, another leaf. Which is Grace M. T. joining us as web producer. I got to know Grace when she was interning for Styleathome.com, and I’m looking forward to getting to know her better. Welcome, Grace!

And now, some vintage Jenn Gruden content:
7 career killers to avoid
10 cheap ways to be happy
6 great 40th birthday party ideas

Enjoy!
-Helen

This month in our Smart Talk newsletter, we interviewed Jane Farrow who organizes nearly 350 free neighbourhood walks in 50 cities to promote healthy communities.

So I thought I’d ask: What do you love most about where you live? If someone reads our blog who’s visiting your town soon, what should they see?

I live in Toronto, the city Canada loves to hate, so I’m not even sure I should answer this. But here goes: I love the lake most of all, especially the boardwalk in Toronto’s East End and the Scarborough Bluffs. I also think taking the 501 streetcar route across the city from Neville Park to Longbranch is a (cheap) trip everyone should do on their second trip to Toronto, after the C.N. Tower and the Eaton Centre have lost their appeal.

This giveaway is now closed Hey if you’re in the Toronto area, I have a giveaway for you: 5 pairs of tickets to see Rock of Ages, courtesy of Front Of The Line, by American Express! Rock of Ages is a rockin’ musical, making its Canadian debut at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Featuring classic hits by Journey, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Pat Benetar and Styx, Rock of Ages is an 80’s fantasy come to life. The tickets will be for either the night of May 12 or May 13th. The value for a pair of tickets is $198.

I want to write a joke here about “we’re not gonna take it” and you TAKING these tickets but inspiration is low. (I just had to cue that song on my iPod.) Help me out if you want as you enter, but follow the instructions below:

All you have to do is be at or above the age of majority and share your favourite band in the comments before midnight (Eastern Time) on Sunday, May 9th. I will select numbers randomly and whichever comments correspond to those numbers will win. (This way my taste in music will not come into it.)

Be sure your email address is correct in the email address field so we can contact you (it won’t appear on the site). One band/comment/entry per email address please. If your comment doesn’t appear right away, it’s in moderation, but we will see it.

Other legal stuff to remember: Sadly if you’re a resident of Quebec, we can’t give you the tickets even if you’re in Toronto. As I said, one entry per person please. When you enter the contest you agree that Transcontinental is not responsible for the fullfillment of the tickets other than giving your name to AMEX’s representatives, and will not substitute tickets if the show is cancelled, or for any costs associated with the tickets and that you will accept the prize as awarded, no substitutions.

I hope that didn’t discourage you because it’s a great night out.

And for more information on Front Of The Line promotions, visit the American Express Canada Facebook page. While you’re at it, visit our Facebook page too!

Thanks: